More than Surviving

News Date:

Thu. 10/27/2011

Those familiar with the long-running show Survivor know that the challenges the competitors undergo are not for the faint of heart, and may assume that only an elite athlete could stand a chance of succeeding. Chad Crittenden, contestant on Survivor: Vanuatu, smashed that stereotype when it was revealed that he was competing with a prosthetic foot. He will use his experiences on the show to share his thoughts on Acknowledging Diverse Minds, Bodies and Spirits at 7:30 p.m. November 4 in the Casado Campus Center McKay Gymnasium.

Crittenden, who has been an active athlete since childhood, was an elementary school teacher when he was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma in his foot. However, he did not let this rare and deadly form of cancer stop him from making a miraculously quick recovery, and Crittenden competed in a triathlon just nine months after surgery. About a year after surgery he submitted an audition tape and was subsequently selected to appear on season nine of Survivor: Vanuatu.

After his time on the show, Crittenden chose to take a leave of absence from teaching to stay home with his wife and two children and explore different avenues for sharing his story. He continues to compete in triathlons as well as mountain biking and snowboarding competitions.